5 05, 2023

How to Apply to a Top Ten MBA Program

By |2023-05-05T13:47:29-04:00May 5th, 2023|Chicago Booth, Columbia, EMBA, GMAT, HBS, INSEAD, Kellogg, LBS, MBA, MBA Admissions, MBA Essays, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, Ross, Stanford, UC Berkeley Haas, UCLA Anderson, Wharton|0 Comments

How to Apply to a Top Ten MBA Program

A Top Ten MBA business school can open up a plethora of opportunities and career advancement for professionals. However, getting into a top ten MBA program requires more than just a good GMAT score and work experience. It demands meticulous planning, thoughtful research, and exceptional execution. In this article, we will guide you through the steps of applying to a top ten MBA program and help you prepare for the journey ahead.

  • Start Early and Research Thoroughly

The first and foremost step in applying to a top ten MBA program is to start early and research thoroughly. It is imperative to begin the application process at least a year in advance to ensure that you have enough time to complete all the requirements. Researching the various MBA programs, their curricula, faculty, and admission requirements will give you an understanding of the program’s suitability for you.

  • Focus on Your GMAT/GRE Score

A high GMAT/GRE score is one of the most important components of your application. It is the first impression that the admissions committee gets about your academic ability. A score of 700+ is considered competitive for top ten MBA programs. However, a high GMAT/GRE score alone does not guarantee admission. It is essential to balance your GMAT/GRE score with other components of your application.

  • Highlight Your Professional Experience

Your professional experience is another critical component of your application. It is essential to highlight your accomplishments, leadership skills, and your contribution to the organization. It is also essential to explain why you want to pursue an MBA and how it will help you achieve your career goals. The admissions committee looks for candidates who have demonstrated leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills in their professional roles.

  • Write a Compelling Personal Essay

The personal essay is an opportunity to showcase your personality, values, and unique perspectives. It is essential to write a compelling essay that captures the attention of the admissions committee. The essay should explain why you want to pursue an MBA, your career goals, and how the program aligns with your aspirations. It should also highlight your achievements, challenges, and how you overcame them.

  • Secure Strong Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation play a vital role in the admissions process. It is essential to select recommenders who know you well, can speak to your abilities, and provide examples of your accomplishments. It is also important to brief your recommenders on your career goals, strengths, and weaknesses, so they can provide a comprehensive picture of you as a candidate.

  • Showcase Your Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities such as community service, volunteering, sports, and hobbies can add depth to your application. It demonstrates your ability to manage time, work in teams, and pursue interests outside of work. It is essential to highlight activities that align with your values and showcase your leadership potential.

  • Prepare for the Interview

If you are selected for an interview, it is essential to prepare well in advance. Research the program, the interviewer, and prepare answers to commonly asked questions. It is also essential to dress professionally, arrive on time, and make a good first impression.

In conclusion, applying to a top ten MBA program requires meticulous planning, thoughtful research, and exceptional execution.

It is essential to start early, focus on your GMAT/GRE score, highlight your professional experience, write a compelling personal essay, secure strong letters of recommendation, showcase your extracurricular activities, and prepare well for the interview. By following these steps, you can increase your chances of getting accepted into a top ten MBA program and embark on an exciting career journey. 

Want more advice about apply for a Round 1 or Round 2 MBA at a Top Ten school?  What about an EMBA program?

Contact me today for a free consultation and get into the program of your dreams! www.MBAIvy.com

Check out these other articles too:

  1. Tips To Writing A Better MBA Resume
  2. Should You retake the GMAT?
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31 01, 2020

EMBA Deadlines: Should You Apply? The Answer is YES!

By |2020-01-31T22:19:32-05:00January 31st, 2020|Chicago Booth, Columbia, Darden, EMBA, Fuqua, GMAT, Kellogg, LBS, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, UC Berkeley Haas, UCLA Anderson, Wharton|0 Comments

EMBA’s work on rolling admissions, versus the more concrete deadlines we usually associate with straight MBA programs. However, if you have more than 6 years professional experience in your particular field, the EMBA might just be a better fit for you, and more than help your career.

Furthermore, EMBA programs don’t usually require a GMAT score!  Yes, you heard that correctly and I know it made your day!  A high GMAT could still help you, but it isn’t necessary, and often you can get a waiver, take the EA (Executive Assessment) test instead, or depending on the particular  school selected, not even take any standerized test at all!

EMBA admissions is all about your resume, what you’ve currently done with your career, and where you want to go: your goals and dreams.  Not only that, but really how you want to use your degree to get there.

Are you looking for networking?  Building your knowledge base?  Exploring certain aspects of a parallel field to help you or your company’s growth?  All of those answers are ones the EMBA admissions committee will like, and are good reason for wanting to continue your business education.

All that said, if you’re looking to get in to a top EMBA program, like those offered at Columbia Business School, Wharton, Duke Fuqua, Kellogg (Northwestern), NYU Stern, MIT Sloan, Chicago Booth, UVA Darden, UC Berkeley Haas, UCLA Anderson, Yale + MORE, take a look below!

The 2020 deadlines for the EMBA are stated here, and if you’d like help with your EMBA application and essays, please contact me for a FREE consultation, and I’ll help you determine your best strategy, and if the EMBA is right for you:   www.MBAIvy.com

And, now, without further delay:

EMBA Deadlines, 2020

*NOTE: Many top EMBA programs start admitting candidates for programs that begin in the summer and fall of 2020 NOW, given their policy of rolling admissions.

There is still plenty of time though before final deadlines, and I just recommend that you try to get your applications in earlier than later, as the competition for spots gets tighter and tighter the closer you get towards the end.

202 EMBA DEADLINES:

Wharton EMBA
February 5, 2020

Chicago Booth EMBA
Early: Feb 3, 2020
Final: April 1, 2020

Columbia EMBA, May 2020 Start Date
Early: January 8, 2020
Final: February 19, 2020

Columbia EMBA, August 2020 Start Date
Early: March 18, 2020
Final: May 27, 2020

Columbia EMBA-Global (Dual degree w/ LBS): May 2020 Start Date
Early: January 21, 2020
Late: March 10, 2020

Columbia EMBA-Global Asia (London Business School and University of Hong Kong): May 2020 Start Date
Round 2: January 19, 2020
Round 3: February 23, 2020
Round 4: March 26, 2020

Duke Fuqua Global EMBA
Round 3: Jan. 22, 2020
Round 4: Mar. 11, 2020
Round 5: April 29, 2020
Round 6: May 27, 2020

Duke Fuqua Weekened EMBA
Round 4: Jan. 22, 2020
Round 5: Mar. 11, 2020

Kellogg EMBA: September 2020 Start Date
Round 1: April 22, 2020
Round 2: June 3, 2020

MIT Sloan EMBA
Early Deadline: January 7, 2020
Round 1: March 12, 2020
Round 2: May 28, 2020

NYU Stern EMBA: August Start Date
Early Deadline: March 1, 2020
Final Deadline: May 1, 2020

NYU Stern EMBA Washington, DC: August Start Date
Early Deadline: March 1, 2020
Final Deadline: May 1, 2020

UC Berkeley Haas EMBA
Round 2: February 5, 2020

UCLA Anderson EMBA
Round 2: February 1, 2020
Final Deadline: May 1, 2020

UVA Darden EMBA: August Start Date
January 10, 2020
February 10, 2020
March 10, 2020
April 10, 2020
May 10, 2020
June 10, 2020
June 25, 2020

Yale EMBA
Round 2: January 30, 2020
Round 3: March 30, 2020

[Again, want help with your EMBA application? I’m a former Harvard interviewer and Harvard grad. Check out my website, and contact me for your FREE consultation today! www.MBAIvy.com ]

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1 12, 2019

How To Get In to a Top Ten MBA Program

By |2022-09-18T12:47:38-04:00December 1st, 2019|Columbia, Darden, Dartmouth Tuck, EMBA, Fuqua, GMAT, Harvard, HBS, Ivy League, Kellogg, MBA, MBA Admissions, MBA Essays, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, Ross, Stanford, UC Berkeley Haas, UCLA Anderson, Wharton|0 Comments

How to Get In to a Top Ten MBA Program: What You Need to Know…

Applying to a Top Ten MBA program this year?

The ability to be concise is a gift. It’s also one of the business skills MBA admissions committees look for in an applicant. Not just at Harvard and Stanford, mind you, but at any of the Top Ten highly competitive business schools.

What MBA and EMBA program admissions committees look for is this:

  1. Can you convey your assets and talents in a clear, crisp, concise professional way, and
  2. Can you be consistent?

The real question is, can you get your message across in a moderate amount of words? That means, under or near, but not over the maximum.  Can you do it in a way that’s succinct, and yet shows the MBA committee who you are as a future successful business leader and innovator? Can you do this in a way that will make you stand out?

In other words, are you up for the challenge?  If so, than allow me to relate the following as an example:

This year’s Harvard MBA essay question is:  “As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA Program? (no word limit).”

Most of the applicants who are successful in getting in to HBS have, on average, essays that come in with a word count of 1,000 words. Not 1,500 words, and not 2,000 words or more.

In other words, listen to me: write a manifesto, and it will get you dinged!

The goal, especially at an Ivy League or “Top Ten” business school, is to present who you are, personally and professionally in the strongest way possible.

That means:

1. Know what you want to do. “Undecided” as a career move is weak. The schools (and the business world) doesn’t like weak.

2. Know how your current background and expertise fits in with what that particular school can UNIQUELY offer. In other words, know what makes that school DIFFERENT

3. Know what you, yourself, intend to give back to the school. The adcom wants to know what you bring to table, not only for your fellow classmates, but what you see in yourself, right now, that will set you apart, and indicate that you already have the potential to succeed in the future.

Successful MBA essays usually revolve around a candidate’s unique vision, background, and passion

Drive is also an important trait. All that said, you don’t need to have conquered the world (yet) to get into HBS or a comparable school like Kellogg, Chicago Booth, Wharton or MIT Sloan. You just need to show the admissions committee that you have the intense drive and vision to succeed, at whatever it is you uniquely are setting out to do.

A focused VISION, and a logical, thought out road map in terms of how you’re going to get there, makes you different and stands out.

Top Ten students, as a whole, are competitive, ambitious, driven, and interesting…and, they care about their fellow students and community.

Harvard, for example, values leadership, and those who have the demonstrated potential in their background to become leaders in the future succeed. However, equally important, are those who can demonstrate that they care about their community. In other words, you need to show that your drive isn’t all about YOU.

MBA and EMBA “Top Ten” business school candidates who can show a larger, global, or even (especially for HBS, in particular) social humanitarian interest, and zone in what they do, or want to do with an actionable plan — have, throughout the years that I personally have been working with clients, have had the best possible outcome of success.

The MBA admissions essay therefore  is your place to shine, so don’t hold back.  Top Ten business school adcoms don’t just want to see a reiteration of your resume though. Your resume is an outline, the plate your application sits on. The foundation, but the MBA admissions essays, if you think of them this way, becomes the meat or centerpiece of your meal.

[Looking for help on your MBA or EMBA applications? I’m a former Harvard interviewer, and Harvard grad and run the award-winning MBA & EMBA admission firm: MBA Ivy League Contact me today for a free consultation, and get into the school of your dreams!]

Check out my other related MBA blog articles here: The Harvard 2+2 Program: Is it Right For You?

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27 01, 2017

Your EMBA Strategy: Should You Apply for an Executive MBA?

By |2019-01-03T17:07:25-05:00January 27th, 2017|Chicago Booth, Columbia, Darden, Dartmouth Tuck, EMBA, Fuqua, GMAT, GRE, Harvard, HBS, INSEAD, Kellogg, MBA, MBA Admissions, MBA Essays, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, Ross, Stanford, UC Berkeley Haas, UCLA Anderson, Uncategorized, Wharton|1 Comment

The Executive MBA (or, as it’s more commonly know, EMBA) is for those professionals applying to business school who already have more than a few years experience under your belt.  You’ve graduated from good college, you have a strong job, and you’ve been working in your career now, on average 8-10+ years.

You’ve also probably reached a level in your specific industry where you know you want more out of your career.  Or, perhaps you simply want to go in a completely new direction, and you know you need to first reinforce your skill-set, knowledge base, contacts and networking in order to get you to the next credentialed level.

This is exactly what the EMBA was designed for: people like you who have already achieved a level of professional success: whether that’s on the corporate side, in entrepreneurship, the finance industry, energy industry, or whatever your cup of tea is.  You simply know you now want to take your career someplace even more interesting.

There are a few thing you need to know first though, about applying to this type of executive business school program, in order to make sure you first have all your ducks in a row:

  • EMBA programs usually work on rolling admissions.  That means research your schools early, and know their deadlines.  Then, map out a game plan that gets your applications in earlier rather than later, as spots in EMBA programs (versus the regular MBA) start to fill up (and thereby get more competitive) as the deadline nears.
  • You may not need a GMAT or GRE score!  This is great news to some, and at times the #1 reason for applying for the EMBA over the regular, full-time MBA.  Each school is different though, and some programs (like Wharton) still require it, so as with the above point, do your research on your schools and check early.
  • EMBA programs are usually almost always part-time.  This is usually a plus for busy, successful professionals who fully intend to keep working full-time while they attend school — and for most people who are at the EMBA level, that’s a work week that’s already pretty darn full, so this is good news.
  • The EMBA program is slightly easier to get into than the full-time MBA.  Not really true.  You have to be qualified, and of course, it will depend on the school.  Wharton’s EMBA program, in my opinion, (and I have been working as a top MBA & EMBA admissions consultant now for a very long time), is that it is just as difficult to get into as their regular, full-time MBA program, and is one of the most competitive EMBA programs around.  Not to discourage anyone, but if you are going to apply, just make sure you don’t skimp on anything: your resume, the essays, your interview.  You simply always want to put forth your absolutely best.
  • They’re not going to care about your undergraduate grades. Probably true!  Of course everything always matters and counts when admissions is evaluating your overall profile, and you want to make sure you’re as competitive as possible, in every given area, to give yourself the best chance, but that “C” you got 10 years ago now in Chemistry or Advanced Calculus while you were an undergrad…not going to make much of a difference!
  • The EMBA is all about now:  what are you doing in your career now?  Today? What does your resume look like? How many people do you manage?  Do you have any direct reports?  What level of responsibility do you have within your department, or perhaps this is your own company! How do your application essays, your interview, your profile, and your resume add up?  And what about your rec letters?  Do people speak highly of you, and do you present yourself as a natural innovator and leader? These are the things that will get you in!

The Executive EMBA is all about helping today’s business leaders and visionaries move higher by giving them the tools and relationships they need, and some of the best schools out there for today’s top EMBA include: Wharton, Columbia, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, Chicago Booth, and Kellogg on top of many more.

Thinking about applying for your EMBA and want more information?  Feel free to contact me before for an initial consultation. Current EMBA deadlines for Fall 2017 matriculation are coming up, depending on your school, but there is still ample time to apply! Happy to take your calls:

[I’m a former Harvard admissions interviewer and a Harvard grad, and currently run the MBA & EMBA admissions firm: MBA Ivy. Contact me today for a free consultation and get into the business school of your dreams: www.MBAIvy.com / MBAIvyLeagueInfo@gmail.com / (646) 276-7042 ]

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11 08, 2016

The 10 Best MBA Business School Programs for Entrepreneurs

By |2022-09-21T19:50:08-04:00August 11th, 2016|Babson, Darden, Dartmouth Tuck, IE, IE Business School, IESE Business School, LBS, MBA, MBA Admissions, Stanford, UC Berkeley Haas, UCLA Anderson, Wharton|0 Comments

MBA business school admissions is up this year, and one of the strongest MBA & EMBA admission categories is for those interested in becoming successful entrepreneurs.

Most entrepreneurs and business owners know it takes more than just a good idea to build a strong company.  Success is built on networking, forming strong business connections, knowing how to raise capital, as well as how to properly plan, research, brand, and strategize your company and product, and only THEN launch your business…all while protecting your idea.

And what better place to do this than within a top MBA or EMBA business school where you will be able to access all the support you need for both a successful launch AND future growth!

Staying ahead of the game is what gives you an advantage, and what some of the most successful business leaders, MBA students  and entrepreneurs already know is that the elite innovation labs at some of the best MBA business school programs in the country (and around the world) can certainly give you and your new business a great start in the process of becoming successful.

These MBA programs WORK, and they work because they strive to give you the exact tools and advisory support you need to put your idea out there and succeed.

As one of the top MBA admissions consultants in the U.S., let me advise you that there is nothing better than taking the opportunity to learn from the best.   This means not just from the other entrepreneurs who are your classmates, but from your professors and industry lecturers as well who are often the top leaders and experts in their field.

So, if you’re looking for the best MBA business school programs for entrepreneurship look no further, as they are as follows:

  1. Stanford Graduate School of Business
  2. Babson College’s Olin Graduate School of Business
  3. University of Virginia Darden School of Business
  4. Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business
  5. UCLA Anderson School of Management
  6. UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
  7. University of Pennsylvania Wharton School
  8. IE Business School
  9. London Business School
  10. IESE Business School

Taken from the Financial Times ranking of the Top 25 Business School MBA Programs for entrepreneurship, these MBA business schools can really put you ahead of the crowd.

More importantly though, they teach you how to get that very same crowd behind you and your company by teaching you how to develop the skills you need to launch and sustain your business well into the future!

Looking for MBA or EMBA admissions consulting?  MBA IVY is run by a Harvard graduate as well as a former Harvard admissions interviewer. Contact us for a free profile evaluation today and get into the bschool of your dreams! MBAIvy.com * (646) 276-7042 * MBAIvyLeagueInfo@gmail.com 

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